South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-12-23
AN INDIAN AGENCY.
Scenes it the Issue Of Annuities
at Fort Yates.
How the Indians Pass the Win
ter Near the Agency.

hocS agency, Fort Yates, Dakota, says
a writer In the New York Sun, when
the regular issue of annuities was made
to the Indians OF the reservation. The
Indians received their articles in room
about thirty feet square, surrounded on
three sides by counters piled high with
annuity goods. Along the other side of
the room were the desks of the clerks,
inspector. Indian agent, &c. When
reached the building, there was string
oil Indians pressing against the door like
lot OF theatre goers at the box Office
on first night. 1t was only by actually
taking hold OF and pushing some Of the
evil-smelliug fellows aside that was
able to reach the door at all
When i entered blanket full of
various articles was being dragged out
OF the opposite door. With me had
entered an Indian to receive his issue.
AS soon as he entered a blanket was
spread on the floor, and glib-tongued
young clerk began to rattle off the list
OF things that the Indian and his family
were to receive. In moment the air
was literally thick with articles. Trou-
sers, pals. caps, shawls, blankets, stock
ings, tin plates and cups, woven wire
mattresses, butter knives, boxes of
axle grease, wooden scarfs, mittens,
axes, canvas, needles, thread and cotton
shirts, all rained down in tho most
bountiful manner upon the blanket,
which was then gathered at the four
corners and dragged to the floor, where
its new owner received it.
While all of the Indians receive GER
tam articles, those who have made the
most progress in civilization and have
been most subordinate during the past
year are specially favored, and it is the
further carrying out of the policy here
indicated that is so rapidly turning the
Sioux Indians from their savage habits
to those of civilization. The principal
articles arc always issued in the early
winter, In order that III, Indians
may be as comfortable as possible dur
ing that cold season Other thin gs,
such as horses, ploughs, wagons, har-
ness, oxen, etc., are issued in the spring,
when they arc most needed to help the
Indians in their agriculture.
Some of the Indians accept civilized
customs with great reluctance. A day
or two after the issue i saw spring mat
tresses used to soften the joltings of
their wagons, aud axle grease used as
butter, while trousers were in almost
every case transformed into leggins.
The issue Of annuities signifies to tho
Indians that winter has really come, and
Immediately after it those Indians who
have spent the warmer months wander.
lag about the prairies come in and camp
In great village about mile from the
agency. A great many live, even dur
ing the intense cold Of Dakota winter
in canvas tents, or tcpccs. These are
made circular, and are left open at the
top TO allow the escape of the smoke
from small wood fire always kent
burning In the centre of the earthen
floor. In order to protect themselves
from the cold as much as possible. the
Indians build their village in a broad
bottom thickly overgrown with dwarf
willows. In addition to this, two or
three families pitch their tents together
and build high hedge or fence of
brushwood around them to break the
force Of the wind. The lower edoe of
the tent is piled foot high with sods
and earth. 1t would be difficult for
q white man to live through n win
ter III one OF these tepees, on account of
the cold as we'll rs on account of the
smoke with which they are always
filed when the fire is burning. The
squaws perform all OF the manual labor
and have seen old, bent, wrinklcd
ones tru1ging homeward through the
deep snow, each bearing upon her back
bundle of dry sticks twice her size.
Some Of the indians have built them
selves small log houses and have been
provided with stoves. This transition
from the tepce TO the house is one of the
hardest for tho indians TO make. In
this respect they resemble the more civ.
iIized tribes Of wandering gypsies.
Nearly all of the Indians own ponies
and many own oxen. As soon rs the
first snow falls these animals are seen
harnessed TO sleighs Of the Indians own
construction. The sleighs arc made en-
tirely of wood, deftly hewn Into proper
shape with the axe, and fastened TO
gether by wooden pins. Even during
tho coolest weather, the Indians ponies
and oxen are turned loose TO provide for
themselves. The ponies are accustomed
to that sort Of thing, and paw the snow
from the ground and manage to find
eno"Jh grass to keep them alive until
spring. but the oxen have 10 content
themselves with what willow tops and
wild lose bushes they are able to find.
They suffer greatly from the cold. and
IN the spring it is not unusual TO sec oxen
covered with raw, hairless patches az
large as maLS hand from the effects